Once Upon A Robbery
by filledelmer
Summary: She robs the rich to feed the poor, but one of the rich lords will turn out to be more than she bargained for. AU SK
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **She robs the rich to feed the poor, but one of the rich lords will turn out to be more than she bargained for.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha or Robin Hood or anything else that makes money... I only own this fan fiction piece.

**Special Thanks: **to anyone who reviews.

**Once Upon A Robbery**

Chapter 1

As all beautiful legends happen, this one too happened… _Once upon a time._

_Clip-clop_

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Lady Kagome sighed as she listened to the sound of her gelding, Ah Un, plod along on the hard packed ground. Normally, the noise and the rhythmic gate of her gelding served to lull her to an almost sleep-like state; however, instead of calming her, the noise and the motion were only serving to excite her. She was almost home.

Two months ago, she had gone on a brief visit to a neighboring castle, but her stay had been extended far longer than she had originally planned. The morning of her departure, a knight had burst through the castle gates with the warning of a nearing party of knights prepared for battle. The knights were foreigners, and as they approached the castle, they destroyed everything and everyone in their path. Immediately, her trip home was canceled and the castle was immersed in preparations for the coming siege. Fortunately, on the eve of the battle, knights sent by the king arrived and managed to keep the enemy on the outskirts of the castle's lands. Travel, however, was impossible until now as everyone waited anxiously for all traces of the enemy to be removed from the surrounding areas.

Lady Kagome reached beside her and rested her hand momentarily on the hilt of her sword. Hidden in a case the exact hunter green as her riding clothes, the weapon was almost impossible to detect amidst the many folds of her skirt. Yes, some good had come from the trip. Because of the impending attack, Lady Kagome and the lord's daughters had been assigned a fencing instructor to teach them the art of the sword should they need to defend themselves if the castle was invaded. She had thrived under her instructor's teaching; however, it could be said that fear is often nature's best teacher.

Taking her hand off the sword, Lady Kagome glanced behind her and smiled at the three guards assigned to her by her father. Two of them smiled back at her. The youngest of the knights, Kohaku, was the brother of her friend and lady's maid, Sango. It was he who smiled the brightest. Though the smile never appeared on his lips, a youthful exuberance shown from the pleasant sparkle in his eyes. His father, who rode directly behind her, appeared to be a gruff man, but tiny laugh lines around his mouth and eyes betrayed his kind nature and ready smile.

Turning back around, Lady Kagome strained her eyes as she attempted to catch sight of her home. As she crested the slight hill before her, her eyes caught sight of the outside walls of her estate. A sparkle lit in her eyes as she considered galloping her horse across the field before her.

'_Ah Un could use the exercise, and I know Sango would not mind the pace; though, she would probably scold me for the unladylike entrance,' _she mused.

She chuckled lightly to herself, and the guards gave each other knowing glances. Sango, who rode to the right and slightly behind her mistress, sighed inwardly as she too saw the mischievous light in Lady Kagome's eyes.

A warm wind blew past the Lady, rustling the long grasses in the field before her. It tickled her face and blew a wayward strand of hair across her eyes. She breathed in deeply of the fresh scent, but the normal fragrance of the surrounding plains was overshadowed by something sinister, something familiar—smoke.

"What is going on?" she murmured.

A male voice spoke, "I don't know, my Lady, but that is too much smoke to be that of the normal chimney fires."

She started at the voice behind her; she had not realized that she had voiced her thought. Clucking gently, she urged her mount into a sharp trot and headed across the field. As she approached the castle, she was overwhelmed by the feeling that something was immensely wrong. Sensing her unease, the knights behind her moved forward to flank her sides. Then wasting no more time, she left properness in the dust and urged Ah Un into a gallop. His nostrils flared in irritation as he inhaled the acidic smell of smoke. Never slowing, she rode up to the castle gate. Frantically, she called for the guards to let her in. The gate lowered and she burst through. The sight that met her eyes was utter chaos—a living nightmare. Smoke billowed from different areas within and without the castle, and a mob of panic-stricken people rushed around before her, many clutching children and prized possessions. The unseeing eyes of a mother with a grubby child latched to her skirts and another clutched tightly in her arms, met hers for a mere moment before latching on to the sight of the open gate. The gate clanged shut moments before the woman reached it. Startled, Lady Kagome turned to look at the knights operating the gate. She gasped. The uniforms of the guards and the crest on the shields were not those of her family, but she recognized them instantly. The shield bore the crest of the king.

"What is going on?" she managed.

Stepping up protectively around her and her maid, her knights shook their heads.

"We do not know, but we will find out. Stay close to us," yelled Kohaku's father over the maddening noise of the people.

Lady Kagome began to cough fitfully on the smoke, "Please, find my family first."

The men nodded and began to push through the throngs of people. The crowd started to thin as they neared the door to the castle. In fact, this seemed to be where the crowds were running from. Abruptly, her view of the castle was blocked as Kohaku stepped in front of her.

"I apologize, but I need to be in front of you," he said without even turning to look at her.

She could not see his face, but the tone of his words brooked no argument. She ground her teeth in frustration and worry, but let him do as he said. After moving forward only a few feet he stopped, and she heard a deep- throated growl that appeared to shake his entire frame.

"How dare they!" he spat, but refused to move from his protective stance.

"What do you see?" she asked. He did not answer, but only pushed her further behind him.

"Please, tell me what is happening?" she begged. Tears began to pool in her eyes as the thick smoke began to burn her eyes and throat. When he still refused to answer, she panicked and pushed past him and her other guards.

She screamed as her eyes met those of her father's… moments before he died. She stood rooted to her spot and her eyes refused to move from the gruesome scene before her. Her father lay in a pool of his blood, spilling violently from the hole in his stomach. That was all she saw before she collapsed in a world of black.

"You weren't supposed to kill him, Renkotsu,"

"He refused to answer your question, Bankotsu. Surely, you did not intend to let him live?"

The cold, voice of her father's killer broke into her unconscious state. She groaned as a fresh wave of pain and realization crashed into her, but that did not last long as she fell into a dark sleep once more.

Slowly she opened her eyes. For a moment, she wondered if she was truly awake. It was nearing evening, and the ceiling above her was not that of a castle.

Blinking rapidly, she sat up and looked around the room. Hearing the sounds of muffled sobs, she turned to find the source of the noise.

A sob clenched her throat, and she cried out as she saw who it was, "Mother!"

Her mom turned to her daughter and wrapped her in a crushing embrace. Rocking back and forth from the emotion wracking their small frames, mother and daughter sought comfort in each other's presence. They cried until the tears would no longer come. Then after a few quiet minutes, panic struck Kagome once more.

Pulling slightly away from her mother, she choked out, "Where- where is Souta?"

Her mother leaned forward and whispered, "I sent him with Kaede. He should be safe with her for the time being."

It bothered her that she was not able to see her younger brother now, but she trusted her mother's judgment. She sat silent for a long moment before bringing her red- rimmed eyes to meet those of her mother's.

She questioned, "What happened back there? Who would want to kill—?" her voice trailed off as her mind refused to acknowledge her father's murder.

Her mother looked away as she was assaulted with the memories of this horror-ridden day.

"This morning we received word from a traveling salesman that the King died in a fierce battle south of the kingdom and that his sons battling with him have yet to be heard from. Then almost directly after we heard about the King's death, the royal knights approached out gates. Of course, we let them in."

Taking a breath, she continued. "Seven men appeared to be leading the group. Apparently, the leader of the seven was a young man named Bankotsu. As soon as he saw your father, he walked up to him and demanded that we give up the Shikon jewel."

Kagome gasped. The Shikon was a legendary jewel handed down to kings by kings for centuries from the very first ruler of the lands. It was their symbol of power. The owner of the jewel was king; it was as simple and as complex as that. It was ludicrous to think that the Higurashis would have the jewel. Though it was true that they were distantly related to nobility, their holdings were only average at best.

Kagome broke in, "But why would they think that we have it?"

Standing the Lady Higurashi began to pace. "Apparently, the jewel is missing, and they were convinced that we had knowledge of its whereabouts. Your father refused to tell them anything, and they murdered him for his silence," her mother spat.

Kagome quivered as she heard the venom drip from her mother's every word.

"But that is not the worst of it, Kagome. Not only did they kill your father and scorch the insides of our castle, but apparently the royal advisor, Naraku, is taking over the responsibilities of the king, and in doing so he has ordered that all the men from the villages and the castles be sent at once to the castle of the king."

"For how long?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome," her mother looked down at her daughter, "I doubt any of them will be back for a long time. They will probably all be sent to work for the king as knights and common laborers."

"But what will the villagers do? They could starve—we could starve— without the men here to work the land."

"I really don't know what we will do, Kagome. We will decide when that time comes."

The silence stretched around them for a long moment before her mother began to speak once more.

"Kagome, you need to know that your guards put up a fight once you passed out. They were subdued and two of them were taken with the other men."

Kagome's brow rose, "Why only two guards, Mother?"

Lady Higurashi paused and seemed almost unwilling to answer her daughter's question. Finally, she whispered, "There were only two guards to take. Your maid's father is dead. They killed him and almost killed his son. Kohaku was dragged out of here unconscious."

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"Useless war… useless…," the words struggled forth from a man bloodied and bruised almost beyond recognition. His only identifying trait was his waist length silver hair (a trait of the nobility) which was now almost black with mud. Leaning haphazardly against the firm trunk of an oak, the man attempted to stay alert, but even he, the king's own son, was unable to fight against the blackness that lay waiting to claim him.

Silently, a young girl watched the fallen prince. Dressed in a ragged potato sack with her hair pulled into a small pony tail on the side of her head, this diminutive figure hardly looked capable of helping anyone; yet, timidly she approached him and pushed away a muddied strand of silver hair. Then with determined strides, she turned and ran into the surrounding forest in search of something for the injured male to eat.

Hours later, Lord Sesshomaru, Prince and ruler of the Western Lands, looked disgustedly down at his wretched state. He was covered in mud and caked with the dried blood of himself and countless other men. His sharp ears picked up the sound of running feet and he looked up to meet those of a small child, a little girl with a pigtail, who now stood watching him with child-like wonder. He looked away from her in hopes that she would disappear; however, the child refused to leave and instead approached him with a small bundle of wild berries.

His tongue was swollen from lack of water and he was in sore need of the hydration the fruit offered, but he shoved his need away. He, Sesshomaru, needed the help of no one, especially not the help of a little girl.

"I do not eat the food of commoners," he said icily.

The words would have stilled a lesser mortal, but the child appeared only to be momentarily puzzled. Then after a moment of decision, she walked up to the wounded prince and stacked the berries in a neat pile beside his hand. Then turning, she rushed back into the forest in search of something else.

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Prince InuYasha woke up in a slight daze. Everywhere his body tingled in pain. Slowly sitting up, he took in his surroundings. He was in a small, sparsely furnished hut, common in the poorer villages. Hanging from the rafters above him was a vast variety of plants and herbs.

'_This is probably the home of a doctor,' _he surmised.

His answer came in the form of a woman, clad in the red and white gown of the village healer. Seeing that her patient was awake, the woman spoke.

"I am glad that you are now awake and able to sit up," she said pleasantly.

InuYasha scowled. "Of course, I can sit up. I am hardly weak like the rest of you humans."

His caustic comment did not seem to bother the young woman as she approached him and began to check his bandages.

He hissed as she began to pull at the white cloth surrounding a gash on his side.

The young woman leaned forward and gently held onto his skin as she tugged at the sticking bandage.

He yelped at the pain, "Stop that woman! What are you trying to do to me?"

Giving a final tug on the bandage, she leaned forward and studied his wound as it came into view. She sighed in relief as she saw that she had not reopened the wound. She did not wish to cause the young man pain, but if his skin started to stick to the bandage on his side, they would both regret it later.

Deftly, she changed his bandages before finally stepping away to assess her handiwork. A loud growl met her ears, and the youth in front of her blushed.

Smiling, she stated, "You are hungry. I will get you something."

Moments later, she returned with some broth she had prepared for him earlier. Pulling up a short stool, she sat and prepared to feed him. InuYasha face blanched as he realized that she intended to feed the broth to him.

"Woman, there is no way that I am going to allow you to spoon feed me. I am capable of feeding myself." He crossed his arms and huffed before wincing at the pain from his actions.

"If you insist," calmly she handed the bowl to him, but did not move from her perch by his bed.

Clumsily, the prince lifted the spoon and attempted to bring the broth to his mouth; however, the liquid missed his mouth and spilled down his front. He attempted to eat again, but met with the same result. Frustrated, he growled and pushed the bowl away.

A moment later, the quiet woman beside him picked up the bowl and brought the spoon to his lips. Surprising them both, he clumsily sipped the broth. He was rewarded for his effort as the heated liquid slid down his parched throat. He continued eating until none of the broth remained. As she fed him, the young woman introduced herself. She was the only source of medicine in the village, and today she had found him injured in a nearby field. Her name was Kikyou.

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Author's note: I have wanted for a while now to try this pairing. I apologize to my fans who do not like these two as a couple. This story is AU, but I will do my best to keep the characters in character. I welcome suggestions and all kinds of reviews, though I would prefer that you not leave flames.

If you would like me to continue this fic, please review and let me know. I am working on two other fics right now, and I will work on the ones that people enjoy most.

The legend of Robin Hood inspired a small portion of my story line, so that is why I mentioned it in my disclaimer. Do not expect the stories to be very similar.

So… please review and thank you!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **She robs the rich to feed the poor, but one of the rich lords will turn out to be more than she bargained for.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha or Robin Hood or anything else that makes money... I only own this fan fiction piece.

**Recap: **Finally, Lady Higurashi whispered, "There were only two guards to take. Your maid's father is dead. They killed him and almost killed his son. Kohaku was dragged out of here unconscious."

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He, Shesshoumaru, needed the help of no one, especially not the help of a little girl.

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She was the only source of medicine in the village, and today she had found him injured in a nearby field. Her name was Kikyou.

**Once Upon A Robbery**

Chapter 2

Racing away from a band of furious knights, Lady Kagome let her mind wander for a brief moment to the events of the past few days—events that had prompted her to take this drastic measure….

Kagome sucked in a large amount of air. "They killed my guard? What kind of monsters are we dealing with?"

Her mother did not answer. The question was not one that needed a reply. Her own husband had been killed for refusing to answer a question on the location of a jewel. Surely, these men would not be bothered by the simple murder of an uncooperative guard.

A lone tear streaked its way down the young woman's face. 'Why couldn't the knights just go with those men? At least then, they would still be alive.'

Reaching up she wiped the tear away; now was not the time to think of herself. She had lost a guard and friend. But her maid had lost her father, just as Lady Kagome herself had.

"How is Sango doing?" she whispered through the pain of her own loss still throbbing within her.

Her mother quietly answered, "Perhaps, you should speak with her yourself, Kagome. Your maid—your maid is outside the family cemetery digging the graves for both of your fathers. She should be almost done by now."

Kagome's brow lifted incredulously, "She is out there doing that by herself?"

Lady Higurashi nodded, "She refused help and refused to come inside and rest. I wish some of the young men were still here to…" Her voice trailed off as her daughter scrambled off the tiny bed she had been placed on, and rushed out the door.

Wasting no time, Lady Kagome flew out the door of the hut. Once outside the door, she was forced to pause for a long moment as she tried to determine where she was. She soon realized that she had been staying in one of their servants homes.

Then seeing where she was at, she began to hurry in the direction of Higurashi family cemetery. After eight minutes of rapid walking, she came upon the outskirts of the graveyard. Here away from the family plots was where the servants came to bury their dead.

The loud clank of metal striking small bits of rock was clearly audible over the eerie stillness surrounding the castle lands, and Lady Kagome stepped towards the source of the sound. In the far left corner of the graveyard, Sango stood in an uncharacteristic display of disarray. Her hair had fallen out of its clasp and was now falling in large pieces around her face. She was sweating profusely, and her clothing was wrinkled and stained with the dirt from the gravesite. Taking a moment to rest from her arduous task, she now stood leaning against the shovel's handle. Her eyes, gleaming with angry, pained tears, were unfocused and glassy.

Quickly, Lady Kagome approached her, stepping firmly in the hopes that she would not startle her lady's maid. The moment Sango's eyes fell on her mistress, her eyes regained some of their clearness, and she purposefully turned her face away from Lady Kagome in an effort to hide her tears and troubled countenance.

Reaching down, Sango grasped onto the handle of the shovel and moved toward the partially dug grave; however, at the halting movement of her lady's hand, she paused and waited. She was unprepared for the caring arms that encircled her, mindless of Sango's lowly position and soiled clothing. Sango stiffened and attempted to move away from her mistress; their friendship mattered not—she was still a servant.

"Lady Kagome, I don't think—," she began.

Kagome lifted her soggy eyes to meet Sango's dark orbs. "I'm so sorry, Sango," she whispered. "He died trying to protect my family."

Instinctively, Sango's own arms lifted and returned Lady Kagome's hug. After they pulled apart, Lady Kagome's eyes sought out Sango's shovel. Ignoring Sango's cries of protest, the Lady walked over, picked up the fallen shovel, and began to dig in the spot Sango' was preparing for her father's burial.

Just a short time later, the king's soldiers came back. This time they took the livestock, the grains, and the food the people in her village had stored up. Supposedly, the surrounding villages were needed to help provide the food and the horses for the men folk still being held at the king's castle. It took less than a day to scrape together all the animals and harvested food from people naturally poor to begin with. Now they and the castle that supported them had virtually nothing.

To add to the insult, Kagome's most prized possession, her gelding Ah Un, was taken as part of the soldier's loot. Burning in anger, Kagome had fought with the men as they placed the coarse rope around her horse's neck, but an unseen blow to the back of her head sent her reeling into a world of blackness. It was almost a kindness; she would never have been able to bear the sight of her frightened horse as he fought against the rough rope, nor the view of the soldier as he rode away on the elegant beast.

Now with no means of transportation and no additional food source, the knights had left her and her people at a point of imminent starvation. Soldiers of the king or not, they would not get away with their rotten deeds.

The last straw came as only a few days later, Lady Kagome caught her mother meticulously transferring their last potato from her plate to Kagome's plate.

Now as the Lady Kagome ran nimbly through the forest, each footstep strengthened her resolve to do whatever it took to keep her family and her people alive. This _king _would not take that from her.

Kagome clutched the bag in her hand tightly, occasionally looking over her shoulder to make sure Sango was following close behind. Each of the two women held large bags stuffed full of food. Looking back, she saw Sango dive to the left, and she followed at a speed given only by rushing adrenaline. She ducked just in time. A loud whir reached her ears and she felt the frightening sensation that occurred when one has just missed death

THUMP!

The arrow that had just narrowly missed her face landed solidly in the bark of the tree trunk before her.

A barrage of arrows soon followed, and she darted nimbly around tree trunks as she ran deeper into the forest. When they felt that they were a decent distance away from the king's knights, they knelt under the dense undergrowth of the forest and waited for the sound of footsteps. Kagome forcibly calmed her breathing and the racing of her heart so that she could clearly hear the sound of pounding footsteps as they raced past the hiding spots of the young women. Once the sounds had grown distant, they cautiously stepped out into the open and began to jog hastily in the direction of the Higurashi castle.

Unbeknownst to the girls, they were being watched. InuYasha sat perched high on a tree limb in his normal red clothing; his silver hair dyed black to disguise the obvious sign of his royalty from Naraku's scouts. InuYasha scowled as he watched the two lithe figures evade the knights. They were too young to be taking on Naraku's army.

"Just what do you two think you are doing? You could have gotten yourselves killed."

Lady Kagome shrieked in surprise as red flashed in her vision and a dark haired figure landed directly in front of her.

Her first response was to flee, but the stranger seemed to sense her intentions, and he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Sango growled, outraged that he had dared to touch her mistress.

Kagome flinched as she heard the sound of Sango's fist strike the young man's face. Startled, she watched as the male appeared to almost shrug off the blow Sango had given him.

InuYasha huffed annoyed, "What was that for? It wasn't like I was going to hurt the boy. All I want to know is why you two think you can take on Naraku's army by yourself?"

'Boy?' Lady Kagome thought. Kagome was outraged at his mistake until she remembered the way she was dressed.

In an effort to move through the forest with maximum stealth and ease, the girls had borrowed hunter green pants that Kohaku had left behind. Kagome's long hair was hidden in a small hat she had borrowed from her brother. Sango's hair was also put up and covered; the girls could almost pass for boys from a distance or in the dim light the forest provided.

Kagome blinked rapidly and attempted to remember what she had been asked.

Deciding that honesty would be the quickest and easiest way to go, she said, "I am taking food back to our people. Naraku has left us with nothing left to eat; the old ones are sick and the children are crying from their hunger."

"Where are you two from?" the stranger asked.

Sango spoke up, "That is none of your business."

Apparently annoyed the boy replied, "Look, I realize you don't trust me, but the only connection I have to Naraku is a quest for his blood."

Startled at his venomous words, Kagome questioned, "What has he done to you?"

The guy before them snorted in derision, "He's only stolen my home, and killed my father."

The girls gasped before Kagome quietly spoke, "We both lost our fathers to Naraku's henchmen." Then pointing to Sango, she said, "Sango's brother was almost killed as well."

'_Sango. That is an odd name for a boy_.'

Curious, the stranger walked over to Sango. Then he reached out to take hold of the green hat perched on the lad's head. His hand was caught in mid air, but not before the hat was knocked off, loosing the dark hair that hung in a ponytail midway down the… girl's back.

"You're a girl?!" he shouted.

Then in almost inhuman speed, he turned to Kagome and knocked the hat off her head as well.

Inwardly, the Prince gasped. 'She looks almost like Kikyou.'

However, this girl was obviously different. With hair flowing almost to her waist, it was almost impossible to miss the slender streaks of silver highlighting her hair. Not only was she a girl, but she was of distant noble bloodline as well. Stepping closer to her, he gazed at the roots of her hair for any sign of forgery. As he had suspected, there was none.

It explained her reference to the town's people being her people, but it was shocking to know that two teenaged girls were chasing down Naraku's army over food for a town full of common villagers. Rarely, had he met any of the wealthy who would even think of doing this.

His emotions were conflicted. He wanted to be furious with them for their stupidity, yet was silently amazed at their audacity.

Kagome took his surprise to her advantage, and the moment after he leaned in to inspect her hair she took off with Sango following close behind; however, InuYasha was familiar with the wood's terrain, and he soon caught up with them. Grasping hold of the servant girl's arms, he pulled her to a stop making the first girl stop as well.

Anger and a tinge of fear burned in Lady Kagome's eyes. Who knew what this man was thinking? In this time, women would never have gone out alone, and they certainly did not dress as males. Reaching beside her hip, she found the hilt of her sword, but before she unsheathed her weapon, she was startled by the stranger's quiet words.

"Follow me."

Sango raised a skeptical brow, "Why should we?"

"It is too dangerous for you to be out here on your own. Naraku's knights are still in the area. I will guide you to the edge of the forest—that is unless you want to stumble around the area like a pair of fools."

Lady Kagome gave a very unladylike growl.

The prince crossed his arms in arrogance, "Take my offer or reject it; I do not care. You will get home quicker if you follow me."

Sango looked to her mistress and waited for her answer. He had a point; this was a new area to them, and while they would be able to find the way on their own eventually, it would be much faster to let him lead.

Finally, Lady Kagome nodded. "We will go with you."

She started to follow him before realizing that he had no way of knowing where she was going. He did not even know her name.

"Do you not need to know where our destination is?" she asked timidly.

The red clad man replied, "I was hoping you were smart enough to tell me."

'_The arrogant brute.'_ Lady Kagome's fists clenched in anger, "I live on the Higurashi estate, which should be north-east of here."

The young prince nodded, seemingly unfazed by her angered tone, and continued to lead them through the forest.

A few minutes later, he spoke, "You are a Higurashi? What is your given name, girl?"

Sango gasped, though he spoke as if he were noble, the darkness of his hair and the tattered shape of his clothing hinted that he was a commoner. To ask for the first name of someone of Lady Kagome's rank was unheard of.

Temporarily forgetting the need for hushed tones, Lady Kagome shouted, "My name is not _girl, _my name _is Ka-go-me_."

The man ahead of her snorted, but did not answer.

The young Lady waited for the male in front of her to give his own name; eventually, it became obvious that he was not going to answer.

She prodded, "What is your name then?"

She could sense his hesitation as he answered quietly, "I am InuYasha."

'_InuYasha? The name sounds so familiar.' _

"Do you have no last name?" Lady Kagome asked as they continued to weave through the maze of trees.

In a tone that brooked no argument, the prince replied, "No, it is just InuYasha."

Both girls flinched at the hardness in his tone, and they decided to remain quiet the rest of the way. When they reached the end of the trail, he turned and disappeared into the forest without another word.

Surprised at the suddenness of his departure, Kagome whispered, "Be careful."

Then turning in the direction of her maid she quietly said, "You know, Sango; I get the distinct feeling that there is more to him than meets the eye."

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'This is unacceptable. I do not care what the child does.' Lord Sesshomaru thought as he commanded his mind to stop thinking about the young girl who had been attempting to help and feed him for over a week now.

Today was the first day that she had waited past noon to come to him. Grudgingly, he admitted that he owed her for attempting to see to his needs. On one occasion, she had even brought a miniscule bar of lye soap for him to wash with. He had cringed inwardly at the thought of using the rough, skin-irritating soap to cleanse himself, but he had decided that to stay in the despicable shape he was in was not an option either.

Hearing the rapid approach of light footsteps, he looked up. As the footsteps neared, he detected a slight change in the normal rhythm of the child's footfalls. Yes, he, future heir of the kingdom, knew the sound of the child's footsteps. It had been one of his only forms of mental activity.

She came into view, and he mentally cringed as he looked at her. Her face was cut and bruised over one eye, and she was slightly limping with her right foot. Nevertheless, she beamed as she approached him and pulled three partially crushed nuts from her pocket. Holding out her hand, she offered them to him. He refused and instead focused on her battered appearance.

'_Who has done this? What could she, a simple girl, have done to merit such treatment?_'

The child must have been in a hurry because she quickly put the nuts beside him and ran off in the direction of her village. His eyes tracked her movements as she ran off. Though he detested eating it, he reluctantly reached for the food she had brought. Not only was the food uncommon at his table, but the smallest feeling nagged at him; he felt as if he was stealing from the girl's own table. She did not appear to be well fed, yet she was faithful to bring something to him at all times.

Leaning back, he rested his head against the tree trunk. Still a bit under the weather due to the fierce fighting he had been involved in, he took the moment to rest his head, but he did not relax his guard. Abruptly, he heard a sharp scream followed by sharp canine yips. He stood to his feet and moved in the direction of the village. Long legs covered the ground quickly and silently, and soon he was standing at the outskirts of the village. The noise only intensified as he walked into the center of the town.

What he saw would have frightened anyone but the hardened warrior that he was. Corpses littered the street, and a band of rabid wolves were running rampant on the road, attacking anything that moved. Pulling out his sword, he lopped off the head of one wolf that dared attack him. This caught the attention of the other wolves, and howling, they began to circle him. Unfazed by their crazed looks, he reached out with his sword, and systematically killed each one. When the last wolf lay dying in the street, he sheathed his sword and turned to walk away.

On the edge of the village, he almost tripped across a fallen body. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he looked down at the obstacle in his path. His eyes widened for a mere moment as his eyes fell on the tiny body. It was the small potato sack-wearing girl. With her hand, stretched out in front of her she looked as if she had been reaching for something before she fell. Abruptly, he realized that she was going in the direction of the spot he had been sitting in for the last week. She was coming for him.

Leaning down, he touched the side of her neck expecting to feel nothing, but to his astonishment, the child still had a faint heartbeat.

He stood up and began to walk away. _'It is none of my concern._'

Then only four steps from the child's side, he turned around, walked back to where she lay, and picked her up.

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Standing on a small stool, Lady Kagome arranged last night's stolen food on the tiny shelves lining the interior of her hut. As she looked at the shelves, she sighed and her shoulders slumped noticeably. The food would barely fill the shelves—such a meager amount when compared to the villagers' need. For a brief moment, she contemplated keeping all the food to share with Sango and her mother, but she soon dismissed the selfish thought and concentrated on her next task.

Hearing a knock at the door, Lady Kagome called for the person on the outside to enter. Once she heard the door open, she asked without turning around, "Sango, what is your opinion on the best way to hand out the food?"

She received no answer. Looking down from her position on the stool, she expected to see her maid, but instead her eyes fell on a pair of masculine shoes. Her eyes traveled quickly upward, taking in the expensive sheen of white silk. Suddenly, her gaze found the body of a small girl whose skin was torn and ripped, exposing the muscle underneath. Instantly, her eyes darted up the face of the person holding the child. Her dark eyes met emotionless amber orbs, and something in his gaze told her that her world had just grown increasingly complicated.

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Author's note: I would really appreciate your views on the story. I am trying my best to keep the story moving at a good pace. Please feel free to comment and share your ideas with me.

Thank you so much for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Recap:** Instantly, her eyes darted up the face of the person holding the child. Her dark eyes met emotionless amber orbs, and something in his gaze told her that her world had just grown increasingly complicated.

**Disclaimer: **InuYasha is owned by the talented **Rumiko Takahashi, **and as my Japanese is extremely limited, we are not one and the same.

**Dedicated:** to my cousin, who introduced me to InuYasha… and who hates this pairing.

**Once Upon A Robbery**

**Chapter 3**

"You are a Higurashi."

The man's tone asked no question, merely stated the fact.

Lady Kagome scrambled down from her perch, "Yes, I am. 

Nodding at the bundle in his arms, Sesshomaru lifted a skeptical brow, "You provide the care for your people?"

"I do what I can," she murmured as she hurried to take a closer look at the child in the prince's arms..

"You will need to do better than that," he ground out, attempting to be patient and uncaring.

Lady Kagome looked up startled at the man's attitude, "I can promise nothing other than the fact that I will take care of her to the best of my abilities."

Sesshomaru nodded once, and then began a cursory study of the small hut.

Guessing at what he was looking for, Kagome motioned to the small mattress at the back of the room, "You can place her down there."

The prince's amber gaze narrowed, and he appeared to hesitate. This was obviously a servant's hut—sparsely furnished, with only two dilapidated chairs, a crude table, and the small mattress in the back.

Kagome continued speaking as she walked, "I'm sorry, I cannot offer her a better place to stay. The castle's insides were scorched. This is the best we have."

'_Scorched?'_

Kagome turned around just as Sesshomaru's face cleared.

"This will do."

With a surprising amount of care, Sesshomaru lowered the bundle in his arms onto the indicated spot and stepped back to observe the young woman's work. Quickly and efficiently, Kagome began to examine Rin, completely forgetting the stranger's presence.

"She needs to be cleaned, and several of her wounds need some sort of stitching," she murmured as she worked. "What could have possibly caused all this damage?"

"Wolves."

Kagome's back straightened in surprise before she nodded slightly and went back to her task. "I should have guessed from the teeth marks," she whispered as she pulled back a piece of the girl's crude gown, revealing a myriad of teeth marks. "This poor child."

Looking down at the sweet face, Kagome noticed that the child had opened up her eyes and was gazing at her with a wide range of emotions: fear, hope, sadness, and a small glimmer of curiosity.

"Hello, sweetheart," Kagome said. "My name is Kagome; what is your name?" she asked, trying to put the child at ease.

For a moment, Kagome felt guilty for making the child talk as the young girl's raspy voice barely managed to speak, "Rin."

"That is a pretty name, Lady Rin. I'm going to try to get you all fixed up; so you can go outside and play again."

The child smiled weakly, "Rin is not 'Lady Rin.' Rin is just Rin."

Smiling, Kagome continued to talk to the small child, barely aware of the intense gaze of the man behind her.

Arms ladened with empty baskets for the coming distribution of food, Sango chose this moment to attempt to enter the small doorway of the hut. The room obscured from her view by a particularly large basket, Sango did not notice the body in front of her before it was too late. Baskets flew out of her hand as she rammed into a solid object.

Scrambling to pick up the rolling baskets, Sango began to apologize, "I'm so sorry. I didn't see…"

The lady's maid's voice trailed off, as she reached for the last basket, which was laying next to a shoe—a man's shoe. Her eyes hurriedly worked their way up, much like Kagome had done earlier. As her gaze landed on a man's face, her eyes widened first in curiosity, then in fear. His warrior bearing and fine aristocratic features betrayed his heritage as that of a high ranking nobleman and knight, but more than that, the long silver mane that flowed down his back betrayed his royal lineage. She, a servant, had just plowed into a prince, and from the look in his eyes, he was not pleased.

"I—," Sango timidly began.

Realizing that her maid was back, Lady Kagome spoke without looking up from her work, "Sango, I'm glad you're here; I could use your help."

Glancing timidly at the prince then back to her mistress, Sango placed her baskets in the corner and walked swiftly to Kagome's side. As she gazed at the child on the futon, Sango's breath caught in her throat. The child would be fortunate to live.

Taking a breath, Sango questioned, "What can I do?"

"I need water; have one of the _men_," Kagome's voice faltered, "have_ someone_ fetch a pail of water, some cloth, and a needle and thread."

Sango winced slightly at her mistress's mistake. "Yes, my Lady," she said as she rushed out the door, careful to avoid the prince and his questioning gaze.

'_There are no more men here, Kagome.'_ The very thought just rubbed salt into the open wound of Kagome's heart, left there from the deaths of her father and her guard. Squaring her shoulders, Kagome whispered, "Naraku will pay."

Eyebrows raised in curiosity, Sesshomaru wondered at the young woman's quiet vow. What could his father's advisor have done to these people?

Only minutes later, Sango came back with Kagome's requested materials, and hurriedly Kagome nodded to Sango to sit beside her and then worked to clean the young girl's wounds.

"Rin," Kagome began after a few moments, "this is my helper, Sango."

Rin managed a weak smile through her pain, and Sango answered the child's smile with one of her own.

"Do you like stories, Rin?" Kagome asked. The child gave a little nod.

"That's great because Sango is a wonderful story-teller. She knows lots of stories about dragons, and frogs, and princes and princesses, and she was hoping to be able to tell you one," Kagome said, giving a quick glance to Sango. They had used this distraction technique many times when working with the village children.

The child's eyes brightened and Sango began to tell her story in an animated attention, while Kagome laced her needle and took a deep breath.

Glancing over at Kagome, Sango checked to see if Kagome was ready before looking back at the small girl. "Why don't we pretend that you are a brave warrior princess who was wounded in a sword fight against a giant dragon?" Sango suggested.

Rin nodded slowly.

Sango continued, "You are at a nice lady's home, and she is trying to fix your wounds. You will have to be very brave while she works and be very still. Do you think you can do that?"

The child's eyes brightened in understanding, and Sango continued in her story.

Lord Sesshomaru watched the young women work. _'The young Lady Higurashi appears to have some skill. It seems that they have indeed done this before.'_

Checking to see that Rin was indeed fine in their care, the prince pivoted softly and walked quietly out the door. Some questions needed answering.

As Sesshomaru cleared the entryway, he noticed a crowd of women that had gathered near the hut scatter away. Snorting silently in irritation, the prince walked a few more paces before quietly commanding, "Halt."

Instantly, ten pairs of feet stopped in their tracks, and guiltily the women turned towards the tall figure. An older woman, apparently the leader of the women spoke first, "Please forgive the young ones; they never saw a prince before."

"I wish to speak with Lord Higurashi. Where might I find him?" Sesshomaru demanded, completely ignoring the elderly female.

The group gasped and a long silence followed before that same wrinkled face spoke again, "You'll find him out yonder," she said, pointing away in the direction of the family cemetery.

The prince nodded and began to turn away, but stopped as the woman continued, "But if you are wantin' to speak with him, it'll do you no good, unless you aim to talk to the dead."

"What nonsense are you spouting, woman?" Sesshomaru demanded. Though the Higurashis were only distant nobility, his father had been a good friend of the elder Higurashi, and as his son, Sesshomaru would certainly have known of his death.

"He died not more than a couple days ago when the soldiers came and burned the castle, killed the master, and took away our menfolk and our food," she answered.

Sesshomaru's gaze grew cold, "What soldiers?"

For the first time, the elder appeared to be a bit frightened, "I beg ya pardon, sir, but twas the king's knights."

"You lie," he growled.

"If you say so, Your Highness, but it was the king's seal that they bore on their shields." Bravely, the servant continued her voice growing quieter as she spoke, "and it was in his name that they asked to come in."

Snarling, the prince said, "My father would never order such things."

"That we know," the woman continued slowly, "but we were told your father was dead, and a man that goes by Naraku was in charge now. He's the one that ordered this."

"Naraku," Sesshomaru growled, venom leaking from his voice. It was beginning to become clear that his father's most trusted friend was nothing more than a devious fraud.

The servants backed up from the growling prince and a few ran away too scared to stay, only a few remained, too scared to move.

"Where would I find Lord Higurashi's mate?" the prince demanded.

A voice spoke from behind the prince, "I am here, Your Highness."

Sesshomaru turned and for a moment felt pity on the poor ragged woman before him. It was obvious that she had been crying and had been crying for days. Already the lack of rich food was starting to take a toll on her body, but she carried herself regally—years of practice and good breeding evident in her posture and demeanor.

"I need to speak with you privately," the prince ordered.

Nodding, Lady Higurashi motioned to ahead of her and began to walk down the wooded path to the graveyard.

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"And then the beautiful warrior princess and the brave prince and the frog and the cat lived happily ever after," Sango said, finishing her story.

Rin smiled a gap toothed smile and squeezed Sango's hand.

Cleaning off her needle, Kagome smiled wearily at Rin. "I think its time for the princess to go to sleep." Leaning over Kagome tapped Rin on the nose and stood.

"Sango," she whispered as she nodded towards the door.

Nodding, Sango stood and followed Kagome outside.

"We are fortunate that she is at least conscious and able to talk a little. She's so young to have all those injuries. It is quite possible that we will loose her during the night," Kagome whispered. "Ask one of the servants to keep watch on her. I need to be notified if anything happens."

Intent on her task, Sango walked quickly away.

Sighing, Lady Kagome turned and walked back into the hut.

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'_Naraku will indeed pay for this.'_

From the older Higurashi woman, Sesshomaru confirmed all that the servants had told him, and from what he could tell, she was telling the truth. Not long ago, his father had been sent to battle with the countries best knights, but Sesshomaru and InuYasha had not left until a later date. Now, it seemed that his father was not alive, and most likely his half-brother had suffered the same fate.

Long time advisor to the king, Naraku had come into power and with the aid of seven men and the king's own knights, he had rounded up every man and every piece of food that the people had. Not only that, but he was searching for the Shikon jewel, and he was killing anyone who stood in his way.

His next move was unknown, but the prince intended to be ready for it.

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"How is she?"

Though quietly spoken, the words shocked Kagome out of her stupor. "She is doing as well as can be expected. She was hurt badly."

"That much was obvious." Sesshomaru murmured.

Face flushing and eyes flashing, Kagome continued, "Time will tell; I will have servants keep watch over her."

"I have asked the Lady Higurashi to permit her to stay. She is an orphan and ill-fitted for travel."

Kagome's gaze widened, but quietly she nodded. "I understand."

Sesshomaru nodded once then turned to leave.

"Will you be staying the night?" Kagome asked, seeing that the stranger was leaving.

Sesshomaru's brow quirked slightly.

Kagome continued, oblivious to his gaze. "The child will want to see you when she wakes up. It'd probably be best if you explain everything to her."

Surveying the area and eventually finding her gaze again, the prince skeptically asked, "You have accommodations?"

Slowly, Kagome nodded, "Since the men are gone, we have several vacant huts. I will have the servants prepare one for you."

Continuing Kagome asked, "You will be attending dinner with us?"

"It is not necessary," he answered before turning and making his way outside.

Normally, Kagome would have insisted, but looking at the almost bare cupboards, she was silently thankful.

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**Author's note:** I have not forgotten InuYasha. I intended to write about him in this chapter, but I don't know if I'll have the time and I wanted to update for you. "Are You My Father" is complete, so I will now be able to dedicate time to this story once again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**I do not own InuYasha or Robin Hood (sadly)... I only own this fan fiction piece.

**Special Thanks: **to each of my wonderful (and patient!) reviewers.

**Dedicated a: **mi gemela de sherry. Nosotros no bebemos sherry, pero es nuestro apodo. XD (The things I say on a dare. Forgive me if I slaughtered what I wished to say.)

**Recap: **Continuing Kagome asked, "You will be attending dinner with us?"

"It is not necessary," he answered before turning and making his way outside.

Normally, Kagome would have insisted, but looking at the almost bare cupboards, she was silently thankful.

**Once Upon A Robbery**

**Chapter 4**

The early morning light came too early for Kagome. After giving up her mattress to the little orphan girl, she had slept on the dirt floors of the little hut. For someone who had slept only on soft beds with lush bedding in the past, the last few days had left Kagome with too little sleep and a constant ache that coursed throughout her body.

Hearing a soft snore, Kagome looked up from the floor to see that the servant assigned to watch Rin during the night had fallen asleep. She sighed and hurriedly stood to her feet and tapped the other woman's shoulder.

Awaking with a start, the servant girl's gaze filled with fright as she realized that she had fallen asleep on the job. "I'm—" she started to say.

Seeing that Rin was still sleeping peacefully, Kagome smiled sleepily and whispered, "It's all right; it was a long night. Go home and get some rest."

As the other woman left, Kagome took her place on the chair by Rin's makeshift bed.

'_She's still alive; perhaps the worst is already over,'_ she thought as she watched the child sleep.

Almost as if she realized she was being thought of, Rin blinked her eyes open and cracked her lips in a small smile.

"Good morning," Kagome said, cheerily, just as a quiet knock sounded on the hut door.

Rising to her feet, Kagome walked to the entrance and opened the door. Sango stood in the doorway, and at her mistress's appearance, she gave her message. "Your mother has requested that you join her outside."

"Now?" Lady Kagome asked.

Sango nodded, "Now." Gazing at Rin, the maid continued, "I will watch her for you."

"Thank you, Sango," Lady Kagome murmured as she exited the hut.

Seeing her mother standing with their guest, she hurried in their direction.

Seeing Kagome approach, the older woman lifted a regal hand in her daughter's direction, "Kagome, come join me."

Then she continued where she had left off.

"Prince Sesshomaru, we wish you success in the coming days. May you find that your brother is safe, your travel easy, and the coming crown light," Lady Higurashi said quietly.

Lady Kagome gasped loudly, a fact that the prince catalogued for further thought.

"Prince," she whispered. Quickly, the wide-eyed girl scanned the regal man before her, blushed with shame, and screamed inwardly at her obliviousness.

'_How could I not have noticed?'_

Lord Sesshomaru glanced down his nose at her with the same question in his haughty eyes.

Completely unaware of her daughter's reaction, Lady Higurashi continued, "Know that you have our support. We will do what we can to help from here."

The prince's gaze cleared as he nodded, "Thank you for your hospitality."

As he turned to go, he looked back once more, "Though it will take time, I will not allow the injustice done to your family and to your people to go unpunished."

With that promise, he left, leaving no doubt that he would do just as he said.

"Wait!"

At the childlike cry, three sets of eyes turned toward Kagome's hut. Standing in the doorway, was Rin, her arm frantically waving to get their attention. Without pausing, she ran over the threshold and up to the prince.

"May I go with you?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

Unreadable eyes stared down at the small child. Then without answering, Prince Sesshomaru turned and began to walk down the dusty village lane. Apparently used to the man's manner, Rin followed happily.

The Lady Higurashis looked on wordlessly.

"She can't go with him; she's still hurt," Kagome finally whispered.

Her mother shook her head once, "That she is, but she is an orphan and as long as the prince allows her presence, there is nothing we can do."

The two women watched as the prince and the small girl walked out of sight, the dust flying softly behind them from the soft padding of their feet.

"Perhaps," Kagome whispered, "perhaps, they will help each other."

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Standing in the midst of the now familiar forest, InuYasha brewed over Naraku's abrupt rise to power and the advisor's apparent threat to the prince's own safety. While most people believed Naraku's lie that the king and his sons were dead, Naraku himself seemed to be wasting no time in making sure that was indeed fact. Apparently, he had hired men assigned with the very task of finding and killing any of the potential threats to the throne, including its true King.

In addition, as a supposed gesture of good will, he had sent home the old, the feeble, and the sick—sent them home with nothing other than the clothes that they wore the day they were snatched from their villages. Sick and elderly, these men would be unable to lend their support to the women who were now frantically trying to harvest the fields in the men's absence with little strength and almost no knowledge of how to accomplish their task.

As the men began to filter into the areas closest to the royal palace, rumors began to quietly spread through the streets. Taxes—a black and deadly word to all peasants was being whispered amidst the village people. Their last king had been a fair man, but the people knew naught of what Naraku's true nature was. The simple minded gushed over the fact that in returning the small portion of men, Naraku was looking out for the interests of the people and the kingdom. Those that had lived longer and wiser waited in silence.

Pressed to take care of her village, Kikyo used her knowledge of plants and superb skill with a bow and arrow to provide a small source of food for the town. The people adored her. Yet the nagging feeling of worry hovered over InuYasha's head and angrily he scoffed at the forgotten feeling.

As a soldier, InuYasha had seen what a lack of food could do to people. They became someone other than themselves and riots tended to follow those that dared to eat in front of those that had nothing.

Now, the only people who could afford to feed themselves and pay their taxes were the nobility, and there would be no lost love between the wealthy and the pauper. The dark cloud that represented the future was turning black with malice and when the thunder and lightning began to fall, civil war would likely come to the land.

"Something's got to be done, and I guess I'm going to have to be the one to do it," InuYasha growled as he clenched his fists.

Hearing soft footsteps, he turned to find that Kikyo stood amidst the greenery behind him.

She looked him square in the eyes, "You would be guaranteeing your own death, and you know it."

"Naraku is too much of a coward to kill me himself," the prince answered with a snarl.

Kikyo's right brow raised in a skeptical gesture. "You know him better than I," she said quietly, letting her voice trail off in silent question.

Snapping, InuYasha glared fiercely at her, "Well, what do you expect me to do? I can't let him just sit on Father's throne and ruin the lousy country."

The healer's eyes widened in surprise. While he may not have meant to, he had asked for her opinion—the opinion of a lowly peasant. Pausing, she thought a long moment before speaking softly, "I think it would be wise to stay in hiding and let him think you are indeed dead. Watch him; learn his plans, find your brother, then make your move."

Eyes temporarily clouding, InuYasha scoffed, "Sesshomaru's probably dead."

"You're alive, aren't you?" Kikyo's question rang through the quiet stillness of the forest.

Unsure of why he was even listening to the girl, the young prince nodded curtly.

"You play chess, no?" Kikyo asked, already knowing the answer.

Snorting, InuYasha asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"One person can control the board, but in the end it only takes one wise move to capture the king and win the game," Kikyo whispered as she turned and walked deeper within the forest, leaving a gaping prince and a vague answer.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Three days later the forest rang with the sound of pounding footsteps and loud shouts. From the branches of a towering oak, InuYasha watched as soldiers bearing the seal of the king chased two lithe figures through the surrounding vegetation.

Bandits had struck again.

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**Author's note:** I guess it's rather obvious now, but there will be no youkai and hanyous in this fic; I hope this will not faze any of your decisions to read this story. ) I hope you will forgive the shortness of the chapter, but I am hoping you will not mind as long as you were able to get an update.

Out of curiosity, do you as readers prefer quicker updates and shorter chapters or longer update times, but longer chapters?

I absolutely hate to beg for reviews, so I'm not going to. I will say though that about 200 of you read every chapter, and I would really appreciate it if you would take the time just to tell me "update soon" or something else that would let me know that you like this story. Like I said, this is the first time for me to try this pairing, and I would really like some feedback, so that I can at least attempt to meet your expectations. It really does make for a quicker update as well, because reviews serve as a great encouragement and incentive to an author.

Thank you ever so much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **InuYasha is owned by the talented **Rumiko Takahashi; **I only claim this fanfiction piece.

**Dedicated: **a mi prima, angelfire1. (If you like Gundam Wing, you might want to check out her fanfic.)

**Recap:** Three days later the forest rang with the sound of pounding footsteps and loud shouts. From the branches of a towering oak, InuYasha watched as soldiers bearing the seal of the king chased two lithe figures through the surrounding vegetation.

Bandits had struck again.

**Once Upon A Robbery**

**Chapter 5**

'_InuYasha's Forest,' _that was what Kagome called this place-- not that she ever had time to look at it as she and Sango breezed through it on their way to one of the bases that Naraku had set up for the men to begin training for his army.

The base was a castle, larger than the Higurashi manor, and held several hundred men stuffed in the rooms. One of the few men that had managed to hobble back to her village had spent some time in this building, and she had questioned him and learned the layout of the castle. One of the most important rooms in the building, the kitchen had been relatively easy to find. Dressed as boys, Kagome and Sango had slipped in easily. Then claiming to be on orders from high command to take the food to the men training in a far field, the two girls had managed to get a good ten minute head start before the loud clanking of a bell was heard and men began to chase after them.

'_There has to be a better way to do this,'_ Kagome thought as she felt herself begin to slow, unused to the intense effort it took to run while carrying the heavy weight of the packs on their back.

Looking back at her friend, Kagome could tell that Sango was weakening as well.

Hurriedly, Kagome ducked and took a sharp right trying to loose the men that followed them.

'_It's just food. Why can't they just let us have it? They have all they need,'_ Kagome thought to herself as she began to jog again.

"Hurry! They went this way!"

A loud obnoxious voice let her know that her plan had failed.

As the men closed in on them, the rate of Kagome's heart steadily increased. Now, she was forced to make a decision.

If something did not happen soon, they would be captured. She could either drop the bags to the detriment of her people, or she could attempt to carry them on the miniscule chance that she would be able to outlast and outwit the men behind her.

With each step, the men drew closer.

One thing kept replaying in her mind. If they were captured and their gender discovered, they would be in grave danger, aside from the fact that her people would still be hungry.

Making up her mind, Kagome tossed her bags into the thick brush beside her. "Drop your bags!" she called to Sango.

The maid's face clouded and for a moment, it looked like she would argue. Then defeated, she began to toss her bags like Kagome had done. Before her hand let go, a larger hand gripped the mouth of the bags and pulled them from her grasp.

Thinking that they were caught, Sango gasped loudly. Hearing her maid's sharp intake of breath, Kagome turned in time to see a man in vivid red toss two bags over his shoulder and begin to run. Kagome stared in shock at the man's retreating figure and stood unsure of what to do.

"Come on, we're gaining on them!"

That same obnoxious voice from earlier made her decision for her, and turning, she began to run, dragging Sango along with her.

Ten minutes later, she collapsed with Sango on the side of a stream, their pursuers long lost in the winding trails and dense vegetation of the forest. Panting, Kagome just sat staring at the ground. She felt drained, just as she always did after a severe adrenaline rush like the one she had just experienced. Abruptly, a burlap sack landed in front of her face, startling her. Looking up, her eyes met beautiful amber orbs that were filled with emotion. What she saw made her shiver… apparently, he was angry.

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'_Blood—so much blood.' _

It was impossible to escape from it—a horrid dream he could not get out of his mind.

Even now, a hand raised a deadly sword and plunged it into the stomach of a man he felt he should know but could not remember. The sight of the blood rushing to the ground from the large gash was sickening, and the sight of the man's eyes as he collapsed in his own blood was enough to haunt him forever— just as it had been doing ever since he fell asleep… almost two weeks ago.

Another man appeared seconds after the first face faded from view. This one he knew without a doubt that he should know. By the scars on his face and hands, his posture, and the lines that appeared on his face long before they should have, it was obvious that this man had been a knight—a good one most likely.

Just as the nightmare had done every time before, he never saw what happened after the man picked up his sword; he only saw the aftereffects—the body as it lay unmoving on the ground.

This was his nightmare. This time though was different from every other time he had dreamed. Instead of instantly replaying itself, the dream kept on for another few agonizing seconds as he heard a voice scream—the force of the noise shaking his very body.

Abruptly, Kohaku realized the voice was his own, and as he did, he blinked and awoke from a trauma-induced sleep that he had been in for over 300 hours.

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Sango blinked worriedly as she watched the standoff in front of her.

With her hands on her hips, Kagome stood glaring at the glowering male in front of her, the tension thick in the air around them.

"Well, I am sorry, if I made a mistake this time. It is not as if I grew up having to steal to survive. If you can think of a better way, then you just let us know," Kagome whispered, fury behind every word.

InuYasha's eyes narrowed even further before he finally growled in frustration, "Fine. Have it your way."

Kagome nodded, "I will," and began to walk off with one of the packs InuYasha had carried.

"Then meet me here in two days."

Pivoting, Kagome turned to look at InuYasha. "What?" she asked, her jaw dropping.

A small smirk appeared on the prince's face. "You asked for a better plan; show up and you'll get one. That is if you truly want to help everyone as much as you say you do," he said, deliberately goading her.

"I do," Kagome ground out through clenched teeth.

InuYasha nodded in silent approval of her answer. Then he asked, "Can you find your way here again?"

Kagome stared at the stream in silent thought. Speaking up, Sango said, "I think I could, Lady Kagome."

Glancing once at Sango's serious face, Kagome nodded once. "We will be here."

Though he had yet to find a plan, InuYasha decided to find out what he had to work with. "Do either of you have any experience with weaponry?"

Most wealthy women practiced archery, and he assumed that this might still be the case; however, he doubted the servant had any skills. Surprising him, both girls answered, "Yes."

Looking skeptical, InuYasha queried, "How much?"

"Sango, is very adept at handling a human sized boomerang, and I have had training both with swords and the bow and arrow," Kagome answered, a tint of confidence in her voice. She could tell he had been surprised.

'_I was not expecting the fencing; we may have better hope than I thought,' _InuYasha said in his mind.

Outwardly, he only murmured, "How good are you at the bow and arrow?"

Still annoyed with him, Kagome mumbled, "Well, I could hit you."

"Any idiot could hit me," InuYasha snapped. "You need my help, so stop acting like a stupid girl."

Inwardly, he gulped as four flaming and very feminine eyes glared in his direction. Hurrying along, he muttered, "What could you really do?"

Looking around her, Kagome pointed to a solitary walnut hanging on a tree in the distance behind him. "I could hit that."

"You lie," InuYasha scoffed.

Kagome hissed in reply, "You just wait and see, InuYasha."

Crossing his arms over his chest, InuYasha lifted his head haughtily, "That, Miss Higurashi, is exactly what I intend to do."

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_Wanted Alive_

_Miroku Takahashi_

_For tax evasion _

_And attempted assault _

$25

Eyes narrowed angrily, Miroku ripped the notice off a magnificent oak and scowled at the paper that included a sketch an artist had done of him.

'_It is simply unreasonable to believe that I am that bad looking,'_ he thought as he crumpled the paper into a large ball and stuffed it in the folds of his robe.

The very least Naraku could have done would have been to place a decent likeness on the want ads. The nose was too large, the teeth too crooked, his gaze too evil looking, and his hair too unruly—not to mention the large wart by his nose that he knew without a doubt did not belong in that spot.

'_Miranda,'_ Miroku thought. _'Or was it Melinda?'_

After a moment of complex thought, he shrugged. He could remember the girl clearly; well, he could remember _a_ girl clearly, though, he was at a loss on the name.

Just a short time ago while walking through the countryside, Miroku had come across the young woman—an artist—as she worked on a portrait of the sunset. Of course, she was beautiful, and he was a full-blooded male; how could he help himself? She had not only turned down his proposal of marriage but also had slapped him for the very idea, or perhaps, she had slapped him for his admiration of her… finer qualities.

He had almost forgotten about the incident, but after seeing the notice posted on the tall oak, he recognized a piece of her work.

"Women. Who needs them anyway?" he muttered before mentally raising his hand in answer.

After awhile, his mind turned to more serious matters--like the paper itself. It amazed him how Naraku had left out a rather important detail—the truth.

Just a week ago, he had come home to find the rotting carcasses of both his father and grandfather. Chasing off the vultures that had begun to circle in on the fallen men, Miroku carefully cleaned the bodies then burned them, according to their previous wishes.

As the flames died down, a burning log rolled out of the pile of wood. In a sort of trance, he picked it up unfeelingly. The skin of his palm sizzled with the heat from the flaming log, and finally tossing it back in the flames, Miroku sat back and watched the last of his family disappear.

This was his curse.

Miroku's family was a special line of monks. They were entrusted with crowning each of the kings and princes. His grandfather had crowned the late king and his own father had crowned Sesshomaru Prince of the Western Lands. His father was to have crowned Prince Sesshomaru's half-brother, InuYasha, Prince of the Eastern Lands, but the untimely start of the war had postponed the occasion.

With the death of the king, one of the men in his family would be called upon to crown the king's replacement. Miroku had talked at length with the other two monks, and they had immediately agreed to make no move until definite proof of the fate of the king's sons was found. Then, and only then, would they crown the successor.

With Naraku's sudden move to power, the three monks were placed in a dangerous position. Naraku was not in line to receive the kingship, and without one of their blessing, he would never truly be king. After being called away to conduct a weeklong wedding ceremony, Miroku had come home to find his fears confirmed. The men had refused Naraku's order to perform the ceremony and had been executed immediately.

As of now, Miroku was not only a monk; he was a fugitive.

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Prince Sesshomaru glanced at Rin as she walked as best as she could beside him. She would have been heartbroken if she knew that he had purposely slowed down so that she would not have to go so fast. She was trying so hard not to bother him…but she was.

How that girl had the energy to chatter like she did, the prince did not know. Yet, here she was talking away, even though he had said nothing for the last six hours.

"I desire silence," he said finally.

Immediately, the voice stopped, and the child's face fell.

For some horrid reason, he felt compelled to add, "You are not healthy. It is a waste of energy to talk."

The child's face brightened, and she nodded happily.

An hour later, he continued to push off the feeling that he rather missed hearing her chat. It did help to pass the time, and though it was rather annoying, it was almost comforting to hear another voice. While fighting a war, he saw and heard no one but rough men for months. Not only was Rin's voice feminine, but it was also the lilting voice of a child. He had not been around children for years, and oddly enough, he found that he almost missed it.

Finally, he murmured, "Young ladies should not talk so much."

A quiet giggle came from the figure walking slightly behind him.

Surprised, he quirked a brow and turned to look at the child.

Smiling, she gazed up at him, and apparently forgetting that she was not supposed to be speaking, she chirped, "Lady Kagome called Rin a lady, too."

For a fleet second, a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Yes, she did," he finally agreed.

They walked along in silence before Rin sighed and asked, "She was pretty, and I thought she was nice, wasn't she, Lord Sesshomaru?"

His silence did not seem to bother Rin, and happily, she began to chatter once more.

Sighing, the prince's mind dwelt on the young Lady Higurashi, and unwittingly answered his question. _'I imagine she was.' _Then shoving the thought away, he continued walking in silence.

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**Author's note: **And more of the plot unfolds.

I probably should have introduced it a bit earlier, but I hope the concept of the tri-fold ruling system (with the two princes and the king) will not confuse you that much. The way the country is ruled at this point of my story is this: the princes rule their own portion of the land with their father ruling the country as a whole. This way they have responsibilities and practice on ruling a group of people before they become king.

While I can't say for certain when Kagome and Sesshomaru meet again, I can say that I believe it will be quite interesting. smirks

I have one chapter left on "Beware of Pixie Dust". This is good news because that means I should be able to update more often. laughs nervously… at least that is the plan…Every time I say that—voila—I have another story started

You have no idea how incredibly thankful I am for all of your reviews on the last chapter. I was truly beginning to loose hope for this story. Please continue to let me hear from you.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not think you will have a problem, but I have a few flashback paragraphs that I put in italics instead of marking them as flashbacks.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own InuYasha or Robin Hood (sadly)... I only own this fan fiction piece.

**Special Thanks: **to each of my wonderful (and patient!) reviewers.

**Dedicated a: **mi gemela de sherry.

**Recap: **They walked along in silence before Rin sighed and asked, "She was pretty, and I thought she was nice, wasn't she, Lord Sesshomaru?"

His silence did not seem to bother Rin, and happily, she began to chatter once more.

Sighing, the prince's mind dwelt on the young Lady Higurashi, and unwittingly answered his question. _'I imagine she was.' _Then shoving the thought away, he continued walking in silence

**Once Upon A Robbery**

**Chapter 6**

Frustrating—that Higurashi girl was just plain frustrating. She could get herself killed on these _raids_, yet here he was waiting for her—helping her continue to do that very thing.

Leaning back, InuYasha rested his head against the aging walnut tree that stood by the clear stream where he and the two girls had rested after Kagome's last raid.

'_I'm just trying to keep her from doing anything foolish,_' he persisted mentally. _'A girl like that needs to be rescued from herself.' _

From the depths of the forest, InuYasha's ears picked up the sound of walking. Looking up, InuYasha could just see the outlines of Kagome and the servant girl.

'_They're late.'_

Crossing his arms arrogantly, he closed his eyes for a few minutes feigning sleep.

Abruptly the quiet was broken by an almost silent twang and following thump from an area a short distance above InuYasha's head. When something dropped on the top of his skull and landed in his palm, all pretense of sleep vanished, and InuYasha's eyes flew open, his hand unconsciously gripping the small fallen object.

"What—" InuYasha muttered loudly as he jumped to his feet.

His already abused head bumped into something, and he murmured darkly as he turned to face the object sticking from the tree that had halted his ascent. Wispy feathers and a narrow piece of wood brought him to the frightening conclusion that he had indeed just been shot at.

Glaring into the growing dusk, InuYasha could easily see Kagome's confident stance as she stood with one hand on her bow and the other poised just behind the taunt string.

The young archer met his gaze unflinchingly.

_InuYasha murmured, "How good are you at the bow and arrow?"_

_Still annoyed with him, Kagome mumbled, "Well, I could hit you."_

"_Any idiot could hit me," he snapped in reply. _

The prince called out angrily, "You missed me."

"Did I?" Kagome asked with a brow raised skeptically as she lowered her weapon. "I did not realize you were my target."

"_What could you really do?"_

_Looking around her, Kagome pointed to a solitary walnut hanging on a tree in the distance behind him. "I could hit that."_

"_You lie," InuYasha scoffed._

The young male clenched his hand into a fist then slowly unfolded his hand to reveal its contents—a solitary walnut.

_Kagome hissed in reply, "You just wait and see, InuYasha." _

_Crossing his arms over his chest, the boy lifted his head haughtily, "That, Miss Higurashi, is exactly what I intend to do."_

Shaking his head once, InuYasha muttered "Keh," before hurriedly placing the walnut in an unseen pocket. Turning back to the tree, he reached up and carefully pulled the arrow from within the tree bark. "You shouldn't waste ammunition. You might need it later."

From somewhere behind Kagome, a quiet figure released the breath she had been holding.

Then quietly Kagome queried, "You have a plan then?"

InuYasha scowled, "Of course."

If Kagome had known him better, she would have realized his slight bluff, but she did not.

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Prince Sesshomaru was only miles from the border of the Western Lands, but those few miles seemed to be an insurmountable distance.

Even with an ever-present cheeriness, Rin was visibly tired. The little girl had started to slump and walk with a slight limp, but she did not complain, only bit her lip and kept following her prince.

Sesshomaru was very aware of Rin's pain, and he hated the nagging voice that compelled him to stop and break for an hour, even though the daylight was swiftly leaving. What he hated even more than the voice was the fact that he obeyed it. As his long legs came to a halt, he shoved the voice away and scanned the area around him for an acceptable place to sit. Spotting a fallen log, he began to move in its direction, never doubting that the small orphan girl would follow close behind. At the log's edge, the prince pointed to the fallen tree in silent order for the child to sit there.

As a soldier and future king, Sesshomaru had long ago developed the habit of scoping out an area for potential danger, and after seeing that Rin was seated, he began to walk silently away.

From her wooden seat, Rin watched the prince leave and her heart beat unsteadily for a mere second before she managed a small grin and began to mentally tell herself the story Sango had told her of the brave princess. She was not afraid; her prince would not abandon her like everyone else had.

As he walked, Lord Sesshomaru subconsciously scanned the forest vegetation for something edible. While training and at war, he had learned to go without eating for vast periods of time, but the girl—she was another matter. Surely, she required some source of energy, of nourishment, to continue to heal.

Finding what he was looking for, the prince gathered a handful of an edible plant and placed it in a large side pocket before turning back in Rin's direction.

Abruptly, the sound of raucous laughter invaded the relative peacefulness of the forest he traveled through.

If he had not heard the steady clip-clop of hooves, the prince would not have turned in the direction of the noise, but he had… and he did.

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Three men—three completely intoxicated knights rode haphazardly on three matching horses. Snorting in disgust, Sesshomaru listened as one of the men began to ramble drunkenly about what he had done to obtain a deep bay horse. Sesshomaru assumed the man spoke of the massive gelding that trailed rider-less on a coarse rope attached to the saddle of the man's mount.

"You wouldn't ha-balieved it if ya hadn't seen it yar self," the drunkard continued. "But I finally had ta knock out da noblegal dat owned him. She just wouldna let him go." He hiccupped loudly before finally bellowing, "Acted like he was her best f-friend."

Amber eyes narrowed sharply as the prince understood that the man had attacked a Lady in order to steal her horse. Eying the coat of arms displayed on the man's shield, Sesshomaru immediately recognized his father's crest. A king's knight? He would be given a royal punishment.

Stepping forward, the prince grasped the bridle of the doomed man's horse, eliciting a startled, "Hey!" from the knight.

The other two men immediately swerved their mounts around to view the intruder.

"How dare you attempt to stop the king's knight!" one of them called before unsheathing his sword and maneuvering forward.

Sword already drawn, Sesshomaru stepped directly in the knight's path. The prince could see a light dawn in the last man's gaze and could almost feel his frantic terror as he galloped forward and pulled the naïve knight away moments before he would have met the prince's blade.

"What are ya doing?" the man bellowed, angry at being pulled from defending his friend.

"Can't you see who he is, _fool_?" the wiser knight whispered harshly.

Three sets of eyes swerved to Sesshomaru's unmoving stance, and instantly, the men were well on their way to sobriety.

Icily, Sesshomaru spoke, "If you had ridden one step further, I would have killed you."

Then turning his attention to the still dumbstruck knight with the bay horse, Sesshomaru ordered, "Dismount."

Still rather drunk, the man clumsily half slid, half fell off his horse.

"I will be taking both your mount and the bay," Sesshomaru said.

The knight muttered drunkenly, without thought, "Ya can't do that." A moment later, the man cried out as his right arm was sliced purposefully with the prince's blade.

The others gasped, but did not move an inch from their positions.

"Do not dare to tell me what I can and cannot do. You are a disgrace both by striking a woman and by your current conduct," Lord Sesshomaru said through gritted teeth.

Then in one movement, the prince gathered his reigns and sat atop the vacant horse before cantering away with the second horse trailing behind him.

Staring unseeingly down at the deep gash on his arm that had sliced through layers of muscle, the injured man stood unmoving in his spot. The hand would most likely never work again—at least not well enough to use a sword or javelin properly. Not that it mattered, he would probably bleed to death first, and frankly, the prince did not care if he did just that.

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Whether she wanted to or not, Kagome had to admit that waiting for darkness was a better idea than robbing in broad daylight. It was almost uncanny how well InuYasha knew the inner workings of the same castle she had robbed just days earlier. At least, he appeared to know what he was doing—almost made her wonder if he had to steal for a living or had possibly worked in the castle.

As they made their way out of the basement, where most of the food was stored before being moved to the kitchens, Kagome and Sango followed InuYasha's lead and doused the small candle they carried to find their way in the damp darkness.

"Now, what do we do?" Kagome asked InuYasha as they ran silently out into the courtyard, careful to avoid the slight light emitted by the crescent moon.

Increasing his speed, InuYasha sped down the paths and gave no answer.

Kagome followed closely and thought, _'I know he heard me._'

"InuYasha," she whispered again, louder this time.

As she watched InuYasha pause in thought before rushing in another direction, Kagome suddenly realized the reason for his silence.

"You did not plan this far ahead, did you?" she hissed furiously.

Finally, he snapped back, "I know what I'm doing."

InuYasha came to a stop just a few yards from one of the guards that periodically circled the castle during the night, and waited for him to move off in the opposite direction before cautiously moving forward.

Attempting to follow his lead, Kagome rushed forward only to trip in the dark. She held her breath and waited to see if the noise had alerted the guard.

"Who goes there?"

Closing her eyes, Kagome stopped moving and waited, hoping that the guard would not seek her out.

Footsteps sounded in her direction, and she heard the sound of someone fumbling with flint. If she were not still holding her breath, she would have gasped in fear.

Abruptly, she heard a thump and the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.

At the touch of a hand on her arm, Kagome shrieked quietly before calming once she recognized the voice that followed.

"Lady Kagome, we need to leave," Sango whispered.

Stuttering, Kagome managed, "B-but the guard."

"Let's go, he's unconscious," InuYasha said curtly, his voice closer now. "Do you want him to wake up again?"

Even though he would not see it in the dark, Kagome shook her head and began to run.

They continued through the darkness of the forest trying to get as far from detection as possible. As the dawn found them, they were on the edge of InuYasha's forest.

"I assume you can make it home on your own," InuYasha said, speaking the first words in hours.

The girls nodded, and the young man turned to go back into the forest depths.

As Kagome's eyes sluggishly followed him, she realized that he was taking the food he had carried with him, "Wait! What are you going to do with those bags?" Kagome asked in curiosity.

"It's none of your business," InuYasha mumbled, never once pausing in his steps, before disappearing into the forest.

A few minutes later, Kagome picked up the burlap bags, slung them over her shoulder, and began to walk again. She had only gone a few steps when she realized that she had not thought to ask if they would meet again.

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**Author's note:** Ach, where did all the reviewers go? I had such a wonderful response with chapter four (13 reviews) and only 4 for chapter 5. –cries softly- C'est la vie. D

Seriously though, thank you for your patience. I don't know that I was able to tell the readers of this story that I would be traveling for a little over a week and would not be able to update for a while. I'm back though, and ready to work on my stories again.

For those of you who aren't familiar with horse coloring, bays have a reddish-brown body with black mane and tail, and yes, this is somewhat important.

Thank you again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **InuYasha is owned by the talented **Rumiko Takahashi; **I only claim this fanfiction piece.

**Dedicated: **to my cousin, angelfire1… just because it seemed like a good idea to dedicate it to her at the time. D

**Recap:** "It's none of your business," InuYasha mumbled, never once pausing in his steps, before disappearing into the forest.

A few minutes later, Kagome picked up the burlap bags, slung them over her shoulder, and began to walk again. She had only gone a few steps when she realized that she had not thought to ask if they would meet again.

**Once Upon A Robbery**

**Chapter 7**

'_It would kill the proverbial two birds with one stone.'_

Smirking darkly, Naraku planned his next move. With all the available men in the land, his forces were unrivaled but far too large and of great expense. Even though the village food supplies had been reduced to scraps, the harvest had yet to come in when the men were collected, and the slim village pickings were proving to be too poor to provide for the general welfare of the massive swarm of men.

The new plan was relatively simple: weed through the men he had collected once more, removing those proving to retain fierce loyalty to the_ late_ king—those that would refuse to live and die for their new leader. The idea held great potential; he would have a more manageable force, and he would be further cemented into the foolish peasants' good graces for releasing the males… to bring in the last of the harvest.

Abruptly the door to the throne room opened slightly, and a young man was admitted into the massive room.

Though young, the male spoke articulately and without any hint of nervousness, "Your Excellency, I request permission to approach your throne in order to give you this missive that has just arrived."

Annoyed at the interruption, Naraku snapped angrily at the young page before him, "Approach then."

Unruffled by Naraku's harsh manner, the boy sprinted silently forward and handed the missive to Naraku. Then he bowed and stepped back as he awaited further orders.

Scowling, Naraku looked disinterestedly at the rough parchment letter that held a plain red seal. Slipping a long nail through the red wax, he slit the seal apart, allowing the paper to unfold. Containing only three words, the missive spelled his future fate.

_Sesshomaru is alive._

Eyes darkening dangerously, Naraku glared daggers into the unfazed gaze of the boy before him.

"Boy, send for my children immediately. They are of use to me," he ordered.

The page nodded in reply, "Yes, Your Excellency." Then bowing, he turned towards the exit.

Lifting a hand, Naraku ordered him to stop. When he had the page's attention, Naraku murmured craftily, "What is your name?"

"They tell me I am called Kohaku, Your Excellency," the boy replied, his gaze giving away slight surprise—the only emotion the upstart king had seen from the page so far.

Haughtily, Naraku raised a brow and spat, "'They tell you?' You do not know your own name?"

"I have only recently awakened from a sleep that lasted for several days," Kohaku began, emotionless once more, "and I have no memory of my previous life. Recently, however, a knight that claimed to have worked beside me identified me."

Naraku's brows lifted delicately and he purposefully softened his voice, "To what noble house was this knight pledged?"

"The Higurashi Estate, Sir," Kohaku answered simply.

Eyes narrowing, Naraku nodded. "That will be all for now. Your services may be called upon in the future." Then waving a hand, he dismissed the page.

_Another pawn in place—the king far from captured and the game far from lost. _

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"I am to appear before my father."

Kohaku remained silent, his message already stated.

Snorting derisively, Kagura continued to rail at the silent page, "Who is he to order me around? He has ignored me for months, and now that he is _king, _I am to believe that he suddenly feels the need for my presence."

With a sharp gaze on the page, Kagura snapped, "And you know nothing of his reasoning behind this order."

Kohaku nodded once. "That is correct, my Lady, I was ordered only to escort you to the throne room."

"Fine. I shall not keep Naraku waiting," Kagura muttered crisply, deliberately leaving off any kind of respectful title for the man that was her father and her _king_.

As she followed the boy down the winding halls of the castle, Kagura silently steamed over her father's actions and wondered over what had concerned him enough to have her brought into his presence.

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Inside her little hut, Kikyo stacked the food items that had mysteriously appeared at her doorstep after InuYasha had arrived back in her small village the day before. The corners of her lips turned up in the slight resemblance of a smile as she thought of the good-hearted prince with the foul attitude.

Though uncertain as to how the food was obtained, Kikyo knew that it was probably best that she was not party to the information.

'_I only hope the risk he is taking for us is not too great,' _she thought. A few moments later, she blinked rapidly in an attempt to focus. _'What am I thinking? He is a prince; we are peasants. Perhaps, I am just imagining things as I wish them to be.'_

Still, the feeling that Prince InuYasha was responsible remained.

With a silent sigh, Kikyo stacked the last of the food; who was responsible for the goods was unimportant. It was enough that she and the other villagers would live on one more meal.

'_Strange though,'_ the healer thought, as she sat on the solitary chair within her hut_. 'No matter how long he disappears, he has continued to return. What could make him wish to stay here with us—an average village with nothing to offer in way of help or even payment for his kindness.' _

She closed her eyes and her mind turned to the image of the battered body that had made up the youngest prince when she had found him collapsed at the edge of the forest surrounding their small town. Silver hair turned a deep gray from the black dirt he had landed in and his brilliant red clothing almost tattered rags, InuYasha looked nothing like the prince that he was. Her reaction had been immediate and automatic; he was to be brought to her quarters and tended to.

Opening her eyes, Kikyo almost started at the thought that was taking root in her mind.

'_I wonder if anyone has ever done something out of a pure heart for him without expecting anything in return.'_

Subconsciously, her eyes found their way to her small pile of food, before looking away, a sad glint in her eyes.

'_The food is payment.'_

It hurt her to admit that she was most likely right, and confused at her feelings, Kikyo stood and picked up her basket from its peg on the wall before starting out the door, intent on distancing herself from her thoughts of the prince.

Above all else, nothing good would come of any type of emotional attachment to the man born to a lifestyle so vastly different from her own.

No good at all.

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Outside, InuYasha made his way through the dirt lanes between the huts of Kikyo's village on his way back to his forest. As he walked, he spotted a tiny elderly man who was darting around the huts at an amazing speed for one so old.

'_I wonder what he is doing—the crazed maniac.'_

Abruptly, the slight figure darted in front of him causing, InuYasha to stop short and knocking the smaller man down. Baring his short teeth, InuYasha demanded, "Get out of my way."

The older man looked up from his position on the ground and glared at the boy in his path.

"Now you listen to me, young man. I am of noble blood, and I am a close—"

InuYasha snorted and tuned out mentally as the man began to speak. Then as the older male looked straight at him, his eyes widened briefly then narrowed sharply before he interrupted with a growl, "It's you."

Blinking, the older man stared up at the young man that had walked into his path. Then gathering his breath, he demanded, "You know me?"

His only answer was a scowl—a familiar scowl. Having worked for the late king for many years and then having served as a sort of guardian for his two sons, he was well studied in the facial features of those of the royal bloodline. Narrowing his eyes into tiny slits, he studied the dark-haired boy. Eventually, his gaze focused on the boys brilliant amber eyes—a trait he had only seen before on the king… and his sons.

His eyes widened in absolute shock, and his brain automatically substituted the boy's long pitch-black hair for that of royal silver. Then he refused to blink—afraid that this image, this mirage, would disappear forever.

Finally, he whispered, "Master InuYasha, is-is that you?"

InuYasha raised one brow arrogantly and answered, "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Myoga."

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As Lord Sesshomaru saw the walls well over a story tall that safeguarded the home within its depths, he applied a steady pressure on the sides of his mount as he urged the steed into a longer stride—though careful to keep the horse at a relative walk. Behind him, Rin clutched onto the bay gelding, her eyes widening with each soft thump of the horse's hooves, the pain that had been building in her sides momentarily forgotten as she gazed at the walls before her.

Closer and closer the walls drew near, and with each inch, the tension that surrounded the utter uncertainty of what he would find, began to build in the prince's mind, only to be cast aside a few minutes later.

"Who goes there!" came a high-pitched voice from the covered landing at the corner of the wall.

Eyes narrowing, Lord Sesshomaru growled, "Open the gate."

"I must not let you within the gate unless you have identified yourself," the voice answered, the pitch unsteady as the bearer struggled to sound braver than he was.

A moment later, a boy, no more than ten years old, slowly revealed himself from his hiding place on the wall. Obviously terrified, his eyes were wide and his breathing erratic as he gazed upon the man and the tiny girl as they waited at the entrance.

A delicate silver brow lifted, the only sign of the prince's surprise.

"Please listen to Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said interrupting the tense silence. She smiled widely at the other child on the wall. "He has been nice to Rin," she continued, as if that alone granted Sesshomaru the right to do anything.

Instantly, the child paled, and he called frantically, "Open the gate," his terror causing his voice to crack mid-command.

With a rusty creak, the wall opened. Grabbing the reigns of Rin's mount, Lord Sesshomaru moved his mount forward, bringing the inner gate into sight.

From her position behind the prince, Rin turned around and waved at the boy on the wall until he tentatively waved back. Then she turned quickly around as her eyes continued to widen to an incredible size as the horses plodded along.

A wrought iron gate contrasting with its silent guards—two massive dogs of a brilliant white stone— loomed before her, and subconsciously, she whimpered in fear.

Hearing her whimper, the prince turned his head slightly to see the girl's petrified face. The prince turned his head back and spoke in a moment of exact intuition, "They are dogs— the symbol of my father's house."

Rin's head whipped towards Lord Sesshomaru, and her eyes reflected a sweet surprise even as the prince continued to speak.

"Wolves are vermin."

Though he said nothing more, Rin's face slowly transformed into a bright smile, and she sighed happily.

'_Prince Sesshomaru will protect me.'_

As the palace came into view, a small figure with a type of tall walking stick came waddling to meet them mid-way.

Rin squinted to make out the tiny man as he hurried forward. Armed with his stick and a short hat perched on his bare head, the man was outfitted in green which seemed to carry over into his skin, giving him an almost sickly look.

She giggled; she already knew she was going to like her stay here for however long it was.

'_Rin has someone else to play with.'_

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Taking a quiet walk, Lady Kagome looked at the small group of men bustling in the fields.

'_We are fortunate they came in time,'_ she thought as she watched the males rush to bring in what they could of the grains and vegetables that had been left relatively unattended since their absence.

Without thinking, she counted the working figures. Eight. No matter how many times she counted, the number never changed.

Growling softly in frustration, Kagome walked until she reached the edge of the forest. Taking a moment to rest, she leaned carefully back against a smooth tree trunk and closed her eyes thoughtfully.

From behind the tree, a male figure stared in delight at the lovely vision before him.

'_Such a beautiful woman, all alone in this horrid forest, and if I am not mistaken,_' the figure thought, stealing a glance at the woman's hair,_ 'this is the younger Lady Higurashi.'_

Admiring the view for a little bit longer, he decided, '_I will make my presence known, but first…'_

A hand began to snake its way around the tree trunk coming quickly within grabbing distance of—

"What is Naraku's reasoning behind sending these people home anyway?" Kagome murmured, her voice distracted. "They are not ill. Though they are of varying ages, each of them is still young enough to work for Naraku. Why are these chosen and the other villagers left?"

She pounded her small foot in added emphasis, not caring if the thick grass completely muffled the noise. Her eyes still closed tightly in thought, she leaned back even further into the tree, bringing her body even closer to the man she had yet to notice.

Though surprised at the woman's outburst, the male lurking behind the tree managed to keep completely silent until his fingers reached his prize.

"Ah, you ask a good question."

Feeling something grasp her body and hearing the voice behind her, Lady Kagome swirled around, her hand automatically reaching for the light sword she had made her constant companion.

Instantly, the masculine voice faltered as a sharp metal object found its lodging place at the center of his throat.

From thin-lidded eyes, Kagome studied the features of the man before her—neatly pulled back midnight hair, single glove, staff and long robes.

'_A monk,'_ she surmised.

Nervously, the monk chuckled lightly, "I mean you no harm. I have come to speak to Lady Higurashi."

Loosening the pressure of the sword against the monk's neck, Kagome queried skeptically, "What do you want with my mother?"

Instantly serious, he replied, "Please forgive me, but I am not at liberty to speak freely here. The woods have ears."

Slowly, Lady Kagome dropped her sword completely.

Rubbing his neck, the monk spoke quietly, "I realize I may have gotten a little bit ahead of myself before we were properly introduced."

'_Pervert,'_ the lady thought as her eyes narrowed menacingly.

"But dear vision of loveliness," the monk continued, "would you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

Eyes bugging to unheard of proportions, Lady Kagome brought back her hand and crashed it flat on the side of the monk's face.

"That's it!" she cried. "I refuse to remain in your insufferable presence."

Then huffing, she turned around and began to walk snappily out of the forest. From his position by the tree, Miroku took a moment to admire the girl's features as she walked hastily away, hips swaying sharply with the rhythm of her feet.

Finally, he spoke up, "You know you really should not enter the forest on your own. Who knows what kind of creatures might be lurking within its depths?"

Swirling around, Lady Kagome replied, "The only _'creatures'_ I'm worried about currently are the two legged variety."

Chuckling, Miroku began to walk towards her, casually swinging his stick forward as he walked.

"You make a valid point," he agreed light-heartedly as he approached the still fuming girl.

As the monk walked forward, Kagome took an unsteady step back. Seeing this, Miroku sighed sadly and whispered, "I know you do not have reason to trust me, but it is of the utmost importance that I speak to your mother."

Though she continued to keep a steady distance between herself and the man behind her, Kagome watched the male with softening eyes as she detected a deep sadness behind his cheerful façade.

"With the loss of my father, I have done my best to keep my mother from dealing with additional stress. Are you sure you do not have business with me instead?" she whispered.

"Actually," he answered, "I may indeed need to speak with the both of you, and though I loathe causing Lady Higurashi any additional pain, I have a duty to see my mission out."

The young woman's eyes narrowed immediately, "I am afraid that you will need to tell me exactly what this mission is about."

If this had been anyone other than Kagome Higurashi, Miroku would not have thought twice about using whatever means necessary to get around her and her questions. Yet not only was this girl a Higurashi, but she was also unafraid of using her weapons to get information.

Feeling that he had no other choice, the monk scanned the area around him and whispered two words that shattered Kagome's world, "The Shikon."

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**Author's note:** I was wondering how many people would catch on to the significance of the horse that Sesshomaru caught. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of you who did.

I am thinking of sending a snippet of one of the later chapters to those who take the time to send me a review as a small way of saying thank you for your patronage and patience. Would anyone be interested in me doing something like that? Also, if you need me to PM/email when I update, I do not mind doing that. (I was asked about this recently.)

For those of you reading this for Kag/Sessh interaction, please be patient. Good things take time and effort to get to, and Kagome and Sesshomaru are two characters that do not rush well. Please enjoy the story for what it is now.

I apologize for the constant switching of characters. It will not be a problem once everyone is in position.

So far, three C2s have added my story—a record for me. It is an honor that you have done so.

Lastly, I apologize profusely for the length of time it has taken me to update, but I have done the best that I am able. Life is beyond hectic right now, and I have been neglecting responsibilities to do much of my writing.

Thank you as always for reading and especially for reviewing.


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